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Sunday, March 1, 2015

As someone who grew up holding her mother's chocolate chip cookies up as the pinnacle of childhood cookie perfection (don't we all?), it's kind of amazing to me that I have been given the title of CCC Queen in the household. The status was far from being passed down, though - I still can't copycat my mom's cookies, even though they originate from the back of the Chipits package and have undoubtedly been made by thousands of people over the years. No, there are two different cookie recipes that my whole family - mom and picky sister included - declare better than "the originals": the incredibly decadent "My Way" Chewy Choccy Chippers and the sneakily health(ier) Soy Awesome Cookies. I make the soy version over and over throughout the year thanks to their incredible overall potential - the original recipe makes a lot of cookies (perfect for bake sales!), the dough is one of the most freezer-friendly ones I know of, and being eggless it makes a perfect addition to ice cream or chocolate-covered "truffles" (or just eating off the spoon).

Of course, if you know me at all, you know I am absolutely incapable of repeating a recipe for too long. In my mind, there's always room for variation and improvement, whether it's by swapping a different flour in for a flavour twist, adding a superfood or two or (as the case is here) veganizing the works so that a wider audience can partake in the deliciousness that is a well-make cookie. For #SundaySupper's "beany" theme, I took my soy-laden treats and thoroughly updated them while scaling back the yield (I was running out of freezer space!). These vegan cookies are filled with flavour and texture on all angles: tenderizing custard powder, butterscotchy maca powder, nutty barley flour and fruity coconut oil all find a home somewhere in the mix, and using a mix of melted and solid fats as well as chocolate chip sizes just boost the overall appeal even more. They are a
hit with everyone (especially kids), and the tofu will still be a secret - unless of course you tell!

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Thinking about today's #SundaySupper theme (Red Carpet Recipes), I immediately had visions of a rolled or coiled treat as a perfect dessert. To me, the "unrolling of the carpet" imagery is the perfect basis for a fancy dish, not to mention that cookies are infinitely easier to grab (and munch on) during the broadcast than a fancy, multi-tiered dessert!

That said, just like those layered upon layered gowns and updos that fill Hollywood on gala nights like tonight, these cookies are deceivingly complex - the dough itself (essentially a copycat of this one) gets hints of tang and tenderness from homemade ricotta, plus a crunchy, bittersweet note from powdered Coffee Bean Brittle. The filling is homemade caramel sauce, smooth almond butter and toasted almonds, making for a decadently rich experience that's a hit with any fancy coffee drinker, or simply any cookie aficionado!

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

I'll let you in on a little secret - I hate the combination of fruit with pretty much any other flavour out there. With the exception of lemon juice (which I adore in almost everything) and pineapple on pizza (and only pizza, with requisite hot pepper flakes and crushed garlic), fruit belongs on it's own, unadulterated plane of existence in my eyes.

So, is there a more decadent way of marrying chocolate and orange than with a boozy liqueur? Maybe - it you do what I did and top the batch with liquor-filled chocolates! Even with the extra sweetness, though, one of these rich little bars isn't simply empty calories - teff and sorghum flours add a punch of gluten free, whole grain goodness, while the cocoa powder has a burst of antioxidants too. Health food? No... but healthier treat? You bet!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

I've been a longtime fan of blondies - after all, who can hate the rich taste of a brown-sugar, essentially chocolate chip cookie dough in a neat little square? While the "original" plain-Jane base is a work of art in itself, it's also ripe for customization depending on your tastes. Two of my all-time favouriterecipes, for example, contain marshmallowy goodness that creates dense and fudgy bars, while Gluten-Free Quinoa Blondies appeal to the "health food" lovers amongst my friends and family and Genius Chocolate-Chip Blondiesare a sleeper hit with the kids. Combining two types of cookie in a blondie-esque bar never occurred to me, though - until I spotted recipes likethese floating around the blog-o-sphere.

Ironically, I've never been one to crave snickerdoodles, but somehow fell in love with the idea of cinnamon bars. However, for me if there's cinnamon there needs to be raisins, and a richly flavoured base as well to enhance it's natural sweet and spiciness. Taking a cue from my previous blonde goodies and a basic recipe from Inspired Taste, I dialed up the batter with nutty, almost butterscotchy maca powder and chickpea flour, then packed in some raisins along with a glug of Goldschläger for good measure. They are definitely my preferred version of the classic cookie!

The theme for this month's #CreativeCookieExchange is Drunken Cookies! Cookies made with booze and/or inspired by booze, we have them all! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links. You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

Monday, February 16, 2015

I'm always honoured when friends of mine in the health and fitness industry ask me to ply my cooking talents for a cause. I love helping out in any way I can, especially when the beneficiaries are children (it's the teacher in me). For years, I made cakes for Autism Ontario's annual dessert auction, and loved that my few hours in the kitchen contributed to the furthering of their research and support. Now, I am super excited to be a part of another fundraiser, this time for Plan Canada's Because I Am A Girl initiative, whose mission is to "help give girls in developing countries around the world, a chance at a brighter future."

This time around, the event is a Zumba- and Socasize-athon hosted by two of my friends (and Zumba instructors) Dawna Mensah and Sharon Service called Rise Up and Shine. Now, I'm a Zumba freak (friends and family will attest to that) and of course, I love to cook, so not only am I donating the yumminess you'll see below (along with another treat!), but I'm throwing one of my cookbooks on CD and a voucher for a free nutritional consultation into their raffle prize list too! (Side note - if you can't attend RUaS, you can still donate here or by contacting Dawna).

Obviously, since this is a fitness event, I knew whatever treats I made would have to be healthy, as well as a good source of energy, good fats and whole grains to keep the dancers groovin'! Granola bars were an obvious choice, but they can be messy - and often too much to eat for a between-song pick me up. My solution was to turn the "bars" into "bites" - dense, chewy squares of fruit, cereal and seeds perfect for on-the-go. With an arsenal of organic and granola at my disposal, I took inspiration from Oh She Glows and ran with it, creating something truly unique and perfect for my purposes. These bars are vegan and nut free, but because of the granola I used I can't claim its wheat or gluten free due to risk of cross contamination (obviously a changeable factor!). I found the combination of figs, banana and sunflower seed butter to be a perfect flavour pairing for the pumpkin and flax seeds, adding light but present sweetness and nutty notes that would otherwise be missing in a nut-free bar. I can't wait for the event to give them (another) taste!

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